ISRAEL AND THE GLOBAL FAR RIGHT: Religion, Intermediaries, and Power Networks

Abstract

This article analyzes how Israel has articulated with the global far right in recent decades, reshaping its position in international politics. The aim is to show how this alliance rests on two central mechanisms: the role of Christian Zionism, which acts as an ideological and religious bridge with radical right wing movements in the United States and Latin America, and the action of strategic intermediaries, political, business and diplomatic actors who have served as connectors with ultraconservative forces in Europe and the Americas. The study combines specialized bibliography and journalistic sources with an analysis of representative cases – including David Hatchwell, Amichai Chikli, Sheldon Adelson and Yossi Shelley – to examine the convergence of ideological, religious and economic interests. The conclusion is that Israel has shifted from seeking legitimacy within the liberal Western order to becoming a central player in the international network of contemporary far-right movements, consolidating a transnational axis based on securitism, religious nationalism, and the exclusion of political adversaries.